Sam Allardyce says Everton are resigned to losing Ross Barkley in the January transfer window.
Barkley is currently in the final six months of his contract after rejecting a new offer last summer.
Under the Bosman ruling, the 24-year-old is free to discuss terms with foreign clubs about a move in the summer window.
Interest in him is high from the Premier League too, with Chelsea thought to remain keen after missing out on him on deadline day of the summer transfer window.
A move to London seems his likeliest destination as Tottenham have been named as potential suitors also.
Where he ends up remains to be seen but Allardyce believes the club has resigned itself to losing him regardless.
“I would expect there would be contact sometime in this window (for Ross Barkley) if there’s going to be interest from one of the big boys,” he said.
“He’s back in training full time and it’s a little bit like James (McCarthy) and Yannick (Bolasie).
“When he comes back the touch won’t be quite as good, the match fitness won’t be quite as good.
“We’ll have to suffer that for a while until we get him back up to speed.
“I think that the club was resigned to the fact they were going to lose Ross before I got here so I can’t see that changing.”